It was a green alley project, and it has become a flagship organization in Montreal whose 30 employees manage large grants with a self-management model. Since November, Solon – who supports citizens in projects that improve their living environment – has finally moved to a building in Rosemont of which he is co-owner.
“I’m so excited for the gate to be built with a little English courtyard that faces the street. People will be able to stop and come in,” enthuses Alexia Wildhaber-Riley, co-responsible for the Espace des possibilities de La Petite-Patrie, a neighborhood place open to all and which will be even more so when the famous door which gives on rue Beaubien, very close to Christophe-Colomb, will be installed.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Previously, the Espace des Possibilities of La Petite-Patrie was located on rue Saint-Hubert.
For a community organization, being the owner of its building changes everything, ensuring its sustainability protected from real estate speculation. “It’s super important to be anchored in a place to reach your community,” emphasizes Manon Giri, development and partnerships coordinator at Solon.
Also social housing
Before becoming co-owner of 6450, avenue Christophe-Colomb, Solon created the Socio-ecological Transition Workshops (ATSE) with the aim of sharing the premises with other organizations, including Transition en commun, Poliflora (formerly Miel Montréal ), Urban Village and La Remittance, which will set up a bicycle workshop and a tool library.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
The Académie Sainte-Anne, a former school for girls, was built in 1947.
The ATSEs occupy the bottom three floors while the top three belong to Maison Le Parcours, which is in the process of building 38 rooms. “It’s supervised social housing for people who have mental health problems,” explains Alexandre Courchesne, an engineer by training who has been involved in Solon since its beginnings.
The transaction was concluded in 2020 with the congregation of the Sisters of Sainte-Anne and the help of the social economy company Bâtir son district. Without going into details, we had to be patient with the financial arrangement and the granting of permits. But now, the owners finally have the keys to their house.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
There will be a collective kitchen in this room.
Solon’s story
Solon has existed since 2015. “It was born from a project between neighbors in ruelle verte,” recalls Gabrielle van Durme. We started organizing lots of activities: children’s stories, cinema, a beehive… It was really wonderful moments with people that we hadn’t necessarily chosen. »
Neighbors, including engineer Alexandre Courchesne, then undertook a collective geothermal project, Coop Celsius. As they built their nonprofit structure, they had an epiphany of sorts that led to the creation of Solon. “Can we share some more?” Can community energy drive climate change? »
Solon is the idea of deciding together and developing the power to act by focusing on very local action.
Gabrielle van Durme
In 2019, Solon rose to prominence by creating the Neighborhood Mobility project in collaboration with the City, which helped Montreal win the Smart Cities Challenge award and enabled Solon to obtain an $8 million grant. dollars spread over five years. This sum notably financed the deployment of the LocoMotion network, which allows car rental between neighbors, all without worries regarding insurance thanks to an agreement concluded with Desjardins.
“We are working to change the system and mentalities,” argues Manon Giri, who terminated her contract with her insurance company since the latter refused the concept of car sharing.
Visit the LocoMotion website
A supporting role
Solon also created a Space of Possibilities in the Youville district, in Ahuntsic. It was there, during a BBQ between neighbors held last May following the closure of the local grocery store, that we learned of the existence of the organization by meeting Daphné Le Templier1.
Eight months later, the latter tells us that a food purchasing collective has been born and that it is on the verge of becoming independent. When such a project takes off on its own, it’s mission accomplished for Solon, she emphasizes. And it’s even better when the expertise is then used by others since Solon considers himself a guide.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Daphné Le Templier works on the development of third places at Solon.
Each neighborhood should have a “third place” like the Space of Possibilities, argues Daphné, citing LESPACEMAKER, rue Hochelaga, and 4C, in Cartierville. “We would like to create an alliance of Montreal third places to have more structuring financing,” she reveals.
But what is a third place? A sort of “modular” community square according to the needs of the neighborhood. “It helps create social fabric and solidarity,” adds Alexia Wildhaber-Riley. And it’s a place where people can exist for free. »
In fact, you don’t need to be a member or buy a coffee to spend time there.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
A third place like the Space of Possibilities is a community anchor point.
A model of self-management
Not only do Solon employees have deep convictions, they also work without a boss. “At Solon, we have a self-management model, in complete horizontality,” underlines the co-responsible for communications, Delphine Chalon. We all earn the same salary. There is leadership on projects, but no direction. »
There are nevertheless challenges and healthy debates, she agrees, but it allows “real collective alignment”.
This is what attracted Alexia, who came from a more activist background. “Self-management is a revolution in itself as a way of working and making decisions. It’s total integrity,” she says.
It interests you ? The door to the Space of Possibilities is always open, not counting the one that will be built shortly! We will also return there for a Repair Café.
1. Read the article “More than just a grocery store closure”